Latest news with #carer
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
‘You have to fight tooth and nail': PIP claimants tell of struggle to get awarded as Labour accused of making it harder
Sarah has just found out that she will likely be able to keep her Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after months of worry. The 40-year-old mother-of-one works from home, which allows her to juggle life with being a new parent and her disabilities. Chronic fatigue syndrome in her joints means she regularly experiences brain fog and exhaustion, and needs help. And it's her PIP that makes this possible, helping her to afford a carer, stay in work and spend time with her baby. Claimed by 3.7 million people, the health-linked benefit at the heart of Labour's proposed welfare reforms is designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability. The government's concessions on plans to cut welfare spending now mean that Sarah won't be subject to stricter eligibility criteria when next assessed for the benefit. Instead, from November 2026, only new claimants look set to be subject to the tighter criteria, under Labour's bill going through Parliament. But Sarah says she is struggling to see this as a victory. 'If there's another Sarah who's born a few years later, and ended up in this situation, it's still just as appalling,' she says. 'It's encouraging some disabled people to throw other disabled people under the bus. And it's vicious, because it relies on some people being scared enough to say 'well, we'll take what we can get'.' And like so many others, Sarah did not find applying for PIP an easy process to begin with. 'It feels really deliberate' 'It feels like you're being tripped up constantly,' Sarah says. 'It feels really deliberate, how difficult it is. It feels extremely deliberate. Because there are so many ways it can be made more accessible to disabled people.' Halfway through her assessment for PIP, Sarah's infant daughter started to cry in the other room. This caused her to panic, and she shouted to her husband that the baby might need changing. Because of this 'the assessor said I was clearly able to respond to my daughter's needs and assess what she needed,' Sarah says. 'But I said to him I can't care for my daughter on my own, I rely on other people doing that for me. I need somebody with me while I'm with her.' None of this was included in his report, she claims. And it's not just Sarah. Ginny's husband Tim was diagnosed with myotonic muscular dystrophy in 2006, a progressive genetic condition that affects muscles and movement. The mother-of-two works part-time while also caring for her husband full-time. His PIP award means means Ginny is entitled to a £200 Carers Allowance, which she says is essential to support her family. 'Tim doesn't like to admit it, but people frequently can't understand what he says. Every day I'm asking him to repeat himself as his wife, and I know him well,' Ginny explains. 'He was asked to repeat himself at least five times during the assessment. But when it came to the report, it said the assessor had no problem understanding him.' Ginny says the assessor also wrote down that Tim was managing to work part-time for 25 hours as a library assistant. He was actually working just 25 hours a month, just over six hours a week, Ginny says. 'Do you have a dog?' At a PIP assessment, the assessor will decide if an applicant has limited ability to carry out daily living activities. They do this by asking applicants to carry out a range of activities, awarding them points based on how limited their ability is. According to one former assessor, opening questions might include: 'How are you doing today? How did you get here? Do you have a dog?' An applicant could be forgiven for thinking these questions are just small talk, their PIP assessor being friendly and trying to ease them into the process. But in most cases, the assessment has already begun, the former worker says. How they answer these questions could be the difference between a lifeline to pay for their health-related costs or nothing. The former assessor, who wished to remain anonymous, said this approach is standard for PIP assessors. It is permitted under the DWP 's PIP assessment guide, which recommends assessors carry out 'informal observations' that may 'show discrepancies'. 'As soon as you say to them, 'I'm here to do the assessment, is that OK?' and they say yes, it's started,' she explains. 'And then you'll comment, you'll look around the room for photographs of them on holiday, of children. You're looking for evidence that they're not telling the truth.' According to polling by disability charity Sense, over half (51 per cent) of disabled people with complex needs report feeling humiliated during benefits assessment. A further 45 per cent said the process made their symptoms worse. The charity's policy adviser, Evan John, said: 'I think sometimes when you hear some of the discussion around PIP, somebody might think that it was an easy benefit to claim, but that experience is really divorced from the experiences of disabled people.' 'We'd like to see a system that treats disabled people with dignity, that assess people fairly, but doesn't make them feel like criminals for trying to access the support they need.' 'You have to fight tooth and nail' Neither Sarah nor Tim were awarded any points at their PIP assessment. Instead, they asked for a mandatory consideration, but were turned down and faced a lengthy wait for an appeal at a tribunal. 'We went to mandatory consideration fully aware that they would just turn that down because that seems to be the standard with them,' Ginny says. 'But that was just a step to go to appeal.' Sarah was only given the lowest rate of PIP after tribunal, while Tim was awarded his in light of more medical evidence. Around 56 per cent of PIP assessments resulted in a reward between 2019 and 2024. But around two-thirds of decisions are overturned at the tribunal stage, independent of the DWP, by a panel of decision-makers including a judge. 'You have to fight tooth and nail,' Ginny says. 'All the government's talk about 'people just are getting this too easily' or 'supporting people who have the most severe conditions'. 'In my book, my husband has a severe condition and it just feels like they're redefining disability to suit themselves.' It remains to be seen whether the government's concessions over its welfare plans will be enough to appease wavering backbenchers with MPs set to vote on the measures on Tuesday. A DWP spokesperson said: 'The fact is that PIP assessment suppliers and healthcare professionals are involved in the process but are only one part of the evidence used – they have no role in the decision-making process, and are clearly instructed not to base their opinions solely on the situation seen at assessment. 'We're creating a sustainable welfare system that genuinely supports sick and disabled people while always protecting those who need it most, and at the heart of this is our review of the PIP assessment to ensure it is fit for the future. 'We will work with disabled people and a range of experts on this as we deliver our Plan for Change.'
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent carer treats family after £10k-a-month lottery win
A woman who has worked as a carer for 19 years has said the "possibilities are pretty much endless" after winning a £10,000-a-month lottery Hall, 61, from Stoke-on-Trent, said she planned to keep working and treat family and friends after winning the Set for Life National Lottery draw on 8 May. "This win is incredible, I'm not sure it's still fully sunk in," said Ms Hall, who will receive payments each month for 30 years. Ms Hall is also buying herself a few treats, including a hot tub engraved with her winning lottery numbers, "I want to remind myself how lucky I have been every time I take a dip", she said. "It's always been who I am to try and look after others, it's my vocation. Sometimes I get reminded by family and friends that I need to do something for myself. "So, when I found out that I'd just won the top prize on Set For Life, I knew my one treat would be a hot tub."She treated her fiance John to a work van, and plans to pay for her sister's new bathroom and decking at her mother's home. She is looking forward to shopping for a wedding dress ahead of her marriage to John, a farmer, next April. Ms Hall put the deposit down for his van after winning but paid off the balance after receiving her first lottery payment. "If I can help my family and others out I absolutely will and that's one of the most amazing things about winning," Ms Hall said. She said when the first payment landed in her bank account, it hit her that "I've got 359 of these same payments still left to go".She added: "The possibilities are pretty much endless and I will be treating myself to a few other luxuries soon. "I'll definitely be booking luxury weekends breaks and it'll be very nice to go shopping and not look at the price for once." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'I was a full-time carer and I didn't even realise'
A woman who did not realise she was acting as a full-time carer for her brother is warning that many others could be in the same situation and in need of supportLouise Ndibwirende, 36, from Eastville in Bristol, has been caring her older sibling with his acute mental health needs since work-life balance has been "challenging" and she described how she felt "seen" and shocked when her doctor explained that she had become a said: "It was a turning point. Naming it really helped, I realised I wasn't struggling because I just couldn't cope - there was a reason." A charity called Carers Support Bristol and South Gloucestershire has been supporting her ever since, and during Carers Week, which ran until Sunday, it has been raising awareness about the challenges faced by unpaid carersMs Ndibwirende, who works for a mental health charity, said she and her brother were adopted together by a French family so they had a "close bond".She said she would "go to the ends of the earth to make sure [he's] okay".When she first noticed her brother "wasn't being himself" she started started for him through "small acts that felt very normal"."I did a lot of learning on the job with no manual on how to do it," she main role as his carer is supporting him with his mental health struggles and making sure he is receiving the correct medical support. Over time, she became her brother's advocate with mental health teams, but the responsibility gradually took a toll on her own well-being."I wasn't sleeping well and my anxiety was quite strong, it became hard to concentrate at my job," she said she didn't see herself as a carer because "people normally hear the story of family members caring for their older parents or relatives with a long-term disability - not necessarily siblings".Caring for someone else is a "heavy thing to hold", she Ndibwirende has urged other people in a similar situation to reach out for help."There are places to go, like Bristol Black Carers, for when you need support," she added. Lucy Giles, interim CEO of Carers Support, said: "Many people, like Louise, start caring for loved ones out of compassion, not realising they are becoming carers. "Her story underscores the need for support and recognition for all carers, especially those from diverse backgrounds," she added."We are here for all carers in Bristol and South Gloucestershire."
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Crash survivor who lost her mum when a ute smashed into their car forced to sit in soiled nappies at school
A child who survived a head-on crash that killed her mother has been forced to sit in soiled nappies at school after her bid for a carer was knocked back. Mum-of-two Natasha Wilson was taking her kids to get ice cream at McDonald's after school in Mt Isa, in northwest Queensland, in 2019 when a ute hit their car. Natasha was killed while her two-year-old daughter, Amateil Speers, was left with brain and spinal injuries and her older brother Mason suffered a broken neck. Amateil is in year three at Raceview State School in Ipswich after defying medical concerns that she would never walk or have proper use of her bowels and bladder. The eight-year-old can use the toilet at home with assistance but is unable to do so at school without support, so she is made to wear pull-up nappies that staff change twice a day during lunch breaks. The National Injury Insurance Scheme has offered to fund a full-time carer to help Amateil to the bathroom during class, but her grandmother claims the school has turned this down. Grandmother Sharon Wilson said Amateil has come home on several occasions with different clothes on because her nappy wasn't changed before it soaked through her own pants. She also fears the young girl will have to undergo unnecessary bladder surgery if she is unable to use the toilet at school. 'No matter what Amateil has been through, "Oh she'll be okay, just put her in a corner and forget about her",' Ms Wilson said. 'You can't do that. Her injuries are part of her, that's what makes her, so just take her seriously. 'It's so frustrating, just trying to get someone to listen and understand what we're going through,' she said. For Amateil, she just wants to be like the other kids at school. 'I don't like the silly decisions the grown ups are doing. I just want to play with my friends but I can't,' she said. A spokesperson for the Queensland Department of Education denied rejecting any requests for Amateil to be given access to a support worker. 'The school has no record of the alleged incident and has not declined a support worker,' they said. Shine Lawyers is currently representing the family in a Compulsory Third Party insurance claim from the crash in 2019. There has been no civil claim launched against the school, but Shine Lawyers solicitor Madeleine Routley hopes Amateil will receive the care she needs. 'The school is robbing this young girl of her dignity,' she said. 'It would really empower her in terms of her recovery, because using the toilet is something doctors thought she'd never be able to do.' The Department of Education spokesperson said the school took health issues seriously and would continue to provide supports for Amateil. 'Students' health needs are always a top priority, and the school continues to work with the family and a team of health workers to implement and review the current toileting plan to support the student. 'Teacher aides are always available to assist if needed, and the school has recently upgraded the bathroom to cater exclusively for this student's needs. 'The department will not provide any further information to respect the dignity of this student.'
BBC News
09-06-2025
- BBC News
Houghton-le-Spring carer strangled woman he was meant to help
A carer who strangled a woman he was supposed to be looking after has been jailed for two Straughan's victim feared she would die during the minute-long attack at her home in Houghton-le-Spring near Sunderland, Newcastle Crown Court David Gordon said the attack on a vulnerable person in October was "awful" and "frightening".Straughan, 60, of Sunrise Lane in Houghton-Le-Spring, admitted intentional strangulation, making threats to kill and assault by beating. He had been a carer for the woman for about three years during which time he had been abusive towards her, prosecutor Kate Barnes 19 October, he erupted with anger when she asked him to get her dog from the garden, the court pressed his hands round her neck and squeezed for up to a minute causing her to start to black out, Ms Barnes said. Shaken and frightened The woman was able to poke him in the eye causing him to stop, but he then poured a can of drink over hear head, the court was attack ended when the woman was able to phone her mother for help, Ms Barnes his police interview, Straughan, who had a history of violent offences, said he attacked the woman after becoming frustrated with being her a statement read to the court, the woman said she was "scared I would die" during the attack and was left feeling shaken and Gordon said it was not a surprise the woman felt that way after the "awful" and "frightening incident".A restraining order banning Straughan from contacting the woman, going to her address or making any reference to her on social media was also made to last for 10 years. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
